Yellow Dock Tea Benefits

The use of the Yellow Dock herb has been recognized as being especially effective on blood and liver ailments. Yellow dock tea is also known to have extensive laxative and skin cleansing properties.

Yellow dock is a reddish-brown perennial flowering herb that normally grows to a height of about four feet. The plant’s willowy leaves with undulating and twisted edges shoot up from a basal rosette. This unique characteristic of the leaves is what gave the yellow dock its alternative nickname, the curled dock. The leaves are usually boiled and eaten. The roots and the submerged parts of the yellow dock are the ones used for therapeutic purposes.

The flowers and the seeds of the yellow dock are mostly produced in clusters on the branched stems.

Known by its official name of rumex crispus, yellow dock is mostly found in Europe, parts of Africa, and in the United States . The yellow dock is usually abundant in waste places, railway beds, roadsides, car parks or even ditches and dumps. It grows in moist and rich soils.

The active constituents of yellow dock are emodin, magnesium, silicon, tannins and oxalic acid. These are mostly found in the roots. To derive the health benefits of the plant, yellow dock tea can be made by infusing about 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) of yellow dock root in a cup or 250 mL of hot water for about 10 minutes. About three cups can be taken each day.

Yellow dock or any other stimulant laxative is not recommended if patient is taking Lasix (furosemide) as this combo can lead to potassium depletion. Yellow dock is not recommended to be taken during pregnancy, although no complications have ever been reported.

Beneath are some health properties attributed to this herbal drink:

May assist bowel movements and enhance the digestive process.

Appears to promote bile secretion that contributes to the detoxification process.

Said to eliminate heavy metals in the body and assist in other liver-related disorders.